Community Reviews

I think this book gave me brain herpes. A good read, but horrible. The characters are caricatures. The world is nigh-incomprehensible (who includes a list of jewel ranks and titles (broken down by gender), but not a freaking map? especially when this place apparently uses interdimensional travel?!) I wish I could feel sympathetic to the characters- but they all remind me of a too-perfect job interview: "my only flaw is that I love my work... too much." The plot is well-paced, and makes good useI think this book gave me brain herpes. A good read, but horrible. The characters are caricatures. The world is nigh-incomprehensible (who includes a list of jewel ranks and titles (broken down by gender), but not a freaking map? especially when this place apparently uses interdimensional travel?!) I wish I could feel sympathetic to the characters- but they all remind me of a too-perfect job interview: "my only flaw is that I love my work... too much." The plot is well-paced, and makes good use of cliffhangers- but there's just too much else wrong with it to make me want to read the next one.

...and who names their characters Saetan (very obviously meant as an analogue to Satan, the devil, what-have-you) and Daemon- but doesn't bring along any of the associated mythology or world-pieces? Yes, supposedly Saetan rules in Hell, but Hell here is context-free (as there's no religion-system here), and Saetan is rather depicted as a bumbling daddy-figure who likes to give his "daughter of the soul" whatever she wants. Sure, that's kind of Satanic, in a sense, but not quite the sense the author wants, I think....more

For her virgin effort at novel-crafting, Anne Bishop has laid down a strong piece of dark fantasy that is richly drawn, psychologically savage and dripping with THROB. I am suffering severe mind-boggle that this is really her first published work as this story has a high quality quotient and prose that displays real polish.

This first installment of the Black Jewel’s Trilogy introduces us to dark, sexified fantasy world called “The Three Realms” which are known individually as Terreille, Hell anFor her virgin effort at novel-crafting, Anne Bishop has laid down a strong piece of dark fantasy that is richly drawn, psychologically savage and dripping with THROB. I am suffering severe mind-boggle that this is really her first published work as this story has a high quality quotient and prose that displays real polish.

This first installment of the Black Jewel’s Trilogy introduces us to dark, sexified fantasy world called “The Three Realms” which are known individually as Terreille, Hell and Kaeleer. The Realms are not a place full of warm and fuzzies. All power in The Realms is concentrated in those “of the Blood” that you can basically think of as witches and warlocks. Each person born to the Blood is born to a particular color of “jewel” which determines their relative strength as well as their societal status. The darker the jewel, the greater the strength.

The power structure is matriarchal, with Blood males serving/servicing Blood females...and this leads me right into the sex. Sex is an essential aspect of how the Blood to gain and maintain political power and so is a critical part of the plot. If you are squeamish about sexual content, you may want to fantasy elsewhere. Though very little of the “doing the nasty” is explicit (this is NOT erotica), sex and sexual politics pervades every aspect of the Three Realms, and it is not the pleasure pumping kind of sex. It is dark, gritty and should only be practiced with a safety word. It’s absolutely essential to the plot and I thought the strong sense of the sensual without the need for explicit sex scenes was very well done.

Over time, the Blood has become corrupted and a scheming harpy of a witch-bitch named Dorothea now holds the position of Queen. Dorothea has systematically killed or destroyed all those who could challenge her power and has fostered an atmosphere of plotting and mistrust among the rest of the court which keeping all of the stronger Blood males in line by....well, you’ll have to read for yourself.

But Dorothea and her brood are running scared because young Jaenelle has been born and has the power to become the most powerful member of the Blood. Of course, she needs to survive long enough to come into her power.

This is dark fantasy done well. The writing is vividly descriptive and very evocative. It oozes lush. The characters that populate this tale are original and great a strong sense of connection with the plot. I especially liked two of the stronger Blood males: (1) Saetan Daemon SaDiablo, the High Lord of Hell, High Priest of the Hourglass and Warlord Prince of Dhemlan and (2) Daemon Sadi (aka the "Sadist") SaDiablo. Both of these characters just engulf the page when they are present and loom over every scene they are in. The title character, Jaenelle, is also terrifically drawn, but the reader is not allowed inside her head as a POV character so the connection is not as immediate.

In addition to the characters, I thought the magic system was very interesting and quite unique. I do hope that the rules, scopes and limits of the magic are explored in more detail in future novels as I am interested to learn more. What we get in the first one is quick flashes and teases that make you crave more.

Finally, I thought the multi-leveled plot was very well done. It was both complex, yet understandable and so you never felt like you were getting lost in the various changes of direction. Without going into detail, I do want to point out that there are significant portions of the story that can make you cringe (e.g., scenes of systematic rape and torture for both male and female characters). It is quite dark. However, in the hands of a writer as gifted as Anne Bishop, it is amazing to read.

My wife bought the first book in this series and for some reason read it. The whole time she read it she complained how bad it was. Then for some reason I read it and we finished the series. The only explanation I can come up with is that magic is real, anne bishop is a witch and we fell under her spell. Even now I fall into the black obsidian stone.

Let me get straight to the point here: I absolutely abhorred this book. I had to force myself to finish it.

I was actually really excited to start it though. It's widely acclaimed by critics -- professionals and goodreads members alike -- and the plot sounded promising. Plus, the idea of a dark fantasy intrigued me. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't really disappointed by either of those elements. The storyline was okay, and the world of the Blood did prove quite dark.

No, what disappointed me wasLet me get straight to the point here: I absolutely abhorred this book. I had to force myself to finish it.

I was actually really excited to start it though. It's widely acclaimed by critics -- professionals and goodreads members alike -- and the plot sounded promising. Plus, the idea of a dark fantasy intrigued me. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't really disappointed by either of those elements. The storyline was okay, and the world of the Blood did prove quite dark.

No, what disappointed me was Bishop's characterization. As I think a few reviewers before me have mentioned, the novel's requisite badasses -- Daemon and Saetan -- share the same flaw: they're both way too dramatic. How many times does a reader have to be subjected to a magical temper tantrum, or an icy rage or whatever it's called, for god's sake? Not only that, but they're both oddly fluffy when it comes to the "daughter of the blood" herself, Jaenelle. Saetan in particular suffers from extensive badass decay. By the novel's end, I remember thinking that if I had to read something like "Saetan's jaw dropped/Saetan grabbed a chair for support/Saetan's hands started trembling" in response to some unwittingly outrageous thing that Jaenelle had said just one more time, I would throw the book at a wall.

And that brings me to my biggest complaint. Jaenelle, girl of the hour, herself. Her blatant Mary Sue-ness made me want to throttle someone. I realise that it was somewhat necessary to the plot, her being the legendary prophesied queen to surpass all queens or whatever, but come on.

In sum: Bishop really didn't succeed in making me feel for her characters. They were just a little too one-dimensional for my taste.

P.S. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but I found the novel's romantic undertones...squicky, for lack of a better word. Highly squicky....more

Erica RhodesJust saying, undertones of pedophilia? Half the characters in the book seem to have been raped by the time they were 12 and I've just barely got to paJust saying, undertones of pedophilia? Half the characters in the book seem to have been raped by the time they were 12 and I've just barely got to part two! I'm glad I read this review because I'm feeling a lot less alone in the world in how I feel about this book....more
Nov 24, 2012 08:22PM

Stefthis review made me laugh because of how true it is! I also agree with the undertones of pedophilia. I haven't read these book since I was a teenager,this review made me laugh because of how true it is! I also agree with the undertones of pedophilia. I haven't read these book since I was a teenager, and I guess it went over my head back then. I thought about re-reading these but I don't even know if I could bring myself to re-read the series now in my 20s....more
Nov 28, 2012 02:46PM

If you like feminist fantasy fiction, this is the series to read. Bishop creates a fantasy otherworld unlike any I have read (and I've read quite a bit).

Bishop’s work is highly subversive. It develops a female-dominant society based on Kipling’s reminder: “the female of the species is more deadly than the male.” Bishop does not simply put the female in the power position in a “patriarchal” structure, as Lackey does; rather, she highlights the physical and society differences between female andIf you like feminist fantasy fiction, this is the series to read. Bishop creates a fantasy otherworld unlike any I have read (and I've read quite a bit).

Bishop’s work is highly subversive. It develops a female-dominant society based on Kipling’s reminder: “the female of the species is more deadly than the male.” Bishop does not simply put the female in the power position in a “patriarchal” structure, as Lackey does; rather, she highlights the physical and society differences between female and male and displays those differences in a society that acknowledges and accepts them. Bishop further engages in disrupting patriarchy by showing the fallacies present for women in that social system. She challenges patriarchal norms regarding sexuality, language, power and relationships between women and men. Her work, which is centered in an otherworld that is distinctly non-medieval and yet is technologically vague as to almost be modern, empowers women by showing how they can empower themselves through belief in their own power....more

As I started reading Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was a dark fantasy tale that the majority of my fellow readers have glommed. I also come to the realization that Anne Bishop has created a universe unlike anything I have ever read before. I wonder in the ten years since Anne created the Black Jewels Trilogy, how many authors she has influenced? If only I had read Daughter of the Blood when it was first published! This book blew me away from both aAs I started reading Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it was a dark fantasy tale that the majority of my fellow readers have glommed. I also come to the realization that Anne Bishop has created a universe unlike anything I have ever read before. I wonder in the ten years since Anne created the Black Jewels Trilogy, how many authors she has influenced? If only I had read Daughter of the Blood when it was first published! This book blew me away from both a reader's and a writer's perspective. Anne’s words are so rich, and her characters so unique. Every one in this book is not what they seem. The acts written are so questionable and the consequences are so very, very dark. This is not a book for everybody. There are brutal acts against children that consist of rape and pedophilia. Mothers force their sons to have sex with them, as well as father’s selling their daughters to the highest bidder even before they have gone through puberty. The sex here is something that is not enjoyable for both the giver and receiver. Anne has written the sex act as a way to have power over someone. It is usually not done in love, but more for gratification. It is cold and harsh. If someone does not enjoy the act, they may go insane, as some young girls do during their Virgin Night. The Virgin Night is when a young girl becomes a woman. And they better hope the man they are with is gentle and loving, because if their first time is brutal, the girl will be destroy mentally, forever lost to the Twisted Kingdom, a realm where their soul goes, never to return, because they have been brutalized.

There are three Realms within Daughter of the Blood: Terreille, Kaeleer and Hell. These Realms are separated through Gates, which are guarded by Priestesses. The society that lives in each of these Realms is ruled by the Blood and the Jewel. Think of it as a hierarchy or a caste system if you will. Within these caste systems are territories ruled by a Court. The Court can either be ruled by a Queen or a high ranking member of the Blood.

There are so many characters that make up Daughter of the Blood, but there are four main ones that come to mind and will become so very important in the next two books to come. They are Saetan, Daemon, Lucivar and Jaenelle. There is Saetan, who is the High Lord and ruler of Hell. He has two sons that were taken away from him thousands of years ago. One is Daemon, the other is half-brother Lucivar. They are pleasure slaves that serve their aunt, Dorothea SaDiablo, who I have nicknamed evil skank whore queen for good purpose. She has a magical Ring of Obedience around both these brothers. She can lead them around their cocks in the most literal sense. She controls them and pimps them out to pleasure any woman who can afford the price. She especially has a sick obsession with Daemon who is 1,700 years old and has been nicknamed Hayll’s Whore. Daemon is beyond gorgeous and deadly. The so-called pleasure he gives these woman is through the power he has. He has never used his cock, since it doesn’t get hard. So essentially, Daemon is still a virgin. He has been abused horribly, and I wonder if J.R. Ward found her inspiration for Zsadist because of Daemon. Zsadist and Daemon are very much alike in that sense, that they have been forced and raped. There is no escape for Daemon, only hope for a prophecy was told about the living myth; dreams made flesh will arrive in the form of a young woman, a witch who is Witch. She will be the most powerful Queen in the Blood’s history and will cleanse the three Realms of the greed, corruption and sadomasochism, and bring peace. Daemon has waited and waited for Witch because she will be his true lover, the one who will own his soul. She is the only woman he can truly be with in every sense of the sexual, emotional, spiritual and physical.

Where as Daemon suffers more emotional abuses, Lucivar suffers the worst kind of physical. He too waits for Witch, to release him from his torment. Lucivar is actually the first one to meet Witch, in the form of seven year old Jaenelle Angelline, the youngest granddaughter of the Chaillot’s Territory Queen. Jaenelle can cross through all Realms, where she leaves her body to do so. This is where she first meets Lucivar and then his father Saetan. Saetan believes Jaenelle is the daughter of his soul. He longs to teach her craft, magic that she must learn in order to keep her safe because Dorothea and other Queens would destroy Janelle. But by the age of twelve, Jaenelle is in a bad place. Her family thinks she is mentally ill and place her in and out of a hospital called Briarwood. Briarwood is not what is seems. It is a place where little girls, like Jaenelle are left to the mercy of the Uncles, men who enjoy the taste of little girls.

Daemon is sent to be a plaything for Jaenelle’s grandmother and the other women who reside there. The way Daemon handles Jaenelle is very carefully constructed. Daemon knows that Jaenelle is the one he is meant to be with, but because of her, age he would never do anything to her. Even though he wants Jaenelle, he wants who she is inside, the woman she will become. He doesn’t lust after the little girl she is, but rather the person inside. Anne handled this relationship very well. Some may find Daemon’s feelings for Jaenelle at this time to be a bit uncomfortable, but it is a nice comparison to what Daemon goes through with the women of age he must pleasure. He is very much an innocent, when it comes to his feelings for Jaenelle, just like Jaenelle is very innocent in her actions and feelings. She finds a friend in Daemon, a companion that seems to understand her. She also bridges the gap between Daemon and Saetan. Father and son are on the path to forgiveness, all because of Jaenelle.

But Jaenelle’s innocence doesn’t last long because during a party, where the men size up the young girls, all due to Jaenelle’s sadistic uncle, Jaenelle has an outburst in order to protect her older sister. From this point on, Daemon and Jaenelle will be separated and they both will go through some truly horrible things. Jaenelle is brutalized in such a way that made me sick to my stomach. This was the one major peeve I had because the rape of a child is something I am just not comfortable with. We aren’t given details of the act, but the aftermath leads to some very hard reading. The reason for this is to set up the next book because the abuse Jaenelle goes through, breaks her mind, where she leaves her body and disappears. She will be gone forever, a shell with no soul. It is up to Daemon to rescue her. But he is not just rescuing the person that Jaenelle is, but her true being that is Witch.

Anne leaves things open that will hopefully be concluded in the second book, Heir to the Shadows. Daughter of the Blood is disturbing. Dark is not a good enough word to describe this world that Anne Bishop has created. There are many scenes that will make you flinch, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some simply cannot go on and finish reading. As for myself, the best word to describe how I felt reading, is of being consumed. Perhaps Daughter of the Blood could be compared to that of a car accident you just can turn away from. I was lost, much like Jaenelle was as she skipped through those Realms, where I didn’t want to leave. I may have been disturbed, and a bit ill at certain points, but I wanted more.

I question why Anne had to go so far with some of things in Daughter of the Blood. Perhaps it was for shock value, or she felt it just fit in the world she was writing. I would have preferred not to read some of those difficult scenes, but again, my opinion is more of a personal nature. Regardless of the dark tone and nature of Daughter of the Blood, Anne has written an amazing book that evoked so many different emotions.

Jaenelle brought forth my memories of innocent and childlike dreams. Daemon gave me those barely unleashed feelings of lust and seduction, and Lucivar made me feel such pain and suffering. I wanted to torture Dorothea and make her eat her heart. And as for Saetan, I felt a father’s love for all his children and friends. Anne’s vision of Hell is one that will stay with me forever. Funny how Hell seems kind while the other Earth like Realms seem so horrible.

Anne Bishop has opened my eyes to an incredible world that I will never forget.

This book is incredibly awful. It's embarrassingly bad. The characters (with their ridiculous names) and the world are poorly developed. The author gives us variations of the same scenes again and again - Daemon is a sexy threat, dear old dad Saetan is old and tenderhearted, Jaenelle is very powerful and young, everyone else is amazed and afraid and/or 110% evil, full stop, no nuance. The plot? Languishes.

I never had a sense of where different "realms" existed in relation to one another, for allThis book is incredibly awful. It's embarrassingly bad. The characters (with their ridiculous names) and the world are poorly developed. The author gives us variations of the same scenes again and again - Daemon is a sexy threat, dear old dad Saetan is old and tenderhearted, Jaenelle is very powerful and young, everyone else is amazed and afraid and/or 110% evil, full stop, no nuance. The plot? Languishes.

I never had a sense of where different "realms" existed in relation to one another, for all of the babbling about "webs" and "gates" -- honestly, as far as I can tell, each "realm" is like a city, and they all sort of float around in space and some of them are in Hell, where everyone's undead and they only drink blood, not liquor, except sometimes when they get totally wasted, also a horse vampire. ??? Some people can use magic, and some people are better at it or born with more power, but it's not really explained what the difference is, except that everyone we're concerned with is a) able to use magic, b) quite powerful or at least sort of special, and c) totally sexy. I mean, forget about any kind of description beyond "gold eyes" and "long black nails," (sounds SUPER sexy already right!) all you're going to get is how handsome and attractive and slinky and attractive and scary Daemon is, and Saetan has a bad leg, and Lucivar has wings. Maybe bat wings? Not sure. Plus Jaenelle has blonde hair, which she fluffs all the day, and blue eyes, but sometimes she has a stupid expression, and sometimes she's totally intense and wise beyond her years. Everyone who's bad is fat or doesn't have an impressive bosom or whatever, and they're always hanging out in shadows cackling about their wicked schemes and drinking blood. I'm not even kidding. This book is a joke.

Daemon's always angry in a cold way, so he's always leaving frost where he goes. However, when he really gets his dander up, he's able to grotesquely torture and mutilate the people who are supposed to have control over him, so like... why does he allow them to boss him around and make him so miserable in the first place? Everyone's super passive-aggressive, like, I know you're awful and you're going to make me even more wretched, but I think I'll wait until you do and then I guess I'll retaliate. But until then I'm just going to be very sad and dark and call myself a whore and slink around being bitter and cold and sometimes putting on one earring and makeup, which apparently can make a man more androgynous AND frighteningly masculine at the same time -- and it's part of the extra sexy "frilly shirt and feathered hat" getup, saved for special seductions, because when I think about seductive men immediately I want nothing other than a David Bowie-Jack Sparrow one-two knockout punch, in heeled ankle boots. Which, actually, it sounds less ridiculous when I say it that way than it did the book.

And all of that would be fine, if the author seemed at all in on the joke, but the narrative takes itself so seriously. Every page is absolutely dripping with melodrama. YOU'VE COLLECTED ALL OF THE GEMS AND POKEMONS IN EVERY REALM? HOLY CANOLA OIL BATMAN, NO ONE CAN DO THAT!! (hands trembling uncontrollably)

The most egregious element of this book, I think, is the author's use of sexual violence, abuse, slavery, and torture, just write some kinky stuff and give her characters something to whine about. Everything fades to black or gets kind of hazy and abstract whenever something serious is going down, and honestly, instead of leaving it to the reader's imagination, I think it would have done the author some good to actually write the minutiae of the torment she piles onto her characters. By skipping the details, not only does Bishop not have to really confront the depravity she's imagined for us, she also doesn't have to deal with how unrealistic and bizarre so many things are.

Furthermore, as several people have pointed out, Daemon is totally sexually attracted to Jaenelle, who's twelve. And I think this is supposed to be not only acceptable but ROMANTIC, because he really loves her, like her SOUL, not just her BODY you guys. But let's be real, pedophiles in the actual world where this kind of thing really happens? Are prone to thinking exactly that kind of thing. Kartane, who spends a lot of time thinking about how he's going to brutally rape young girls so that their lives are ruined, is a cartoon. This book isn't real, so he can think whatever Bishop wants. But Daemon justifies his attraction and repeatedly puts himself in a position to take advantage of Jaenelle in ways that he can justify ... which is not romantic, it's terrifying. Pretty much the last scene in the book is Jaenelle accusing Daemon of being like everyone else who just wants her body, so, to save her, he... uses his magical "seduction tendrils" to trick her into doing what he wants by destroying her willpower. If the book was like, yo that's pretty devastating, maybe this guy is not actually cool and a hero, maybe sometimes the bad guy really believes that he cares about you as he's destroying you - so we're going to deal with that by holding him accountable for his actions, that would be a neat twist that gave the story some kind of actual consequential meaning. But no, he just did that because he loved her so much omg!! Isn't he handsome and charming and tragic.

Also, if you thought that the matriarchal society was going to have anything to do with competent, awesome ladies, forget that noise. It's full of stereotypically catty and vain caricatures, the author uses their sexual aggressiveness to paint them as villains, and one of the most common cusses is "son of a whoring bitch." This book is awful.

There are so many problems that I could just keep going and going, but all I'm going to do is keep complaining about this disgusting, stupid book. I think a really serious editor could have been like hey lady this is a nice private fantasy but let's buckle down and write a challenging, compelling, and creative piece of literature, and this might have turned into something pretty interesting and powerful, but obviously that did not happen. ...more

Anne Bishop's Black Jewel's Trilogy pinged my radar a few years back when old Blogger friends couldn't say enough good about it. Per usual, it took me all this time to finally get to it, but it didn't take me long to see the appeal.

High fantasy to be sure, The Black Jewel's Trilogy follows along the lines of what made this genre popular. Witches, Magic, Enchanted Jewels/rings, Mystical Creatures and Chosen ones- it has it all! And for those of us gals who need it- a dash of romance!

Book 1: DaughAnne Bishop's Black Jewel's Trilogy pinged my radar a few years back when old Blogger friends couldn't say enough good about it. Per usual, it took me all this time to finally get to it, but it didn't take me long to see the appeal.

High fantasy to be sure, The Black Jewel's Trilogy follows along the lines of what made this genre popular. Witches, Magic, Enchanted Jewels/rings, Mystical Creatures and Chosen ones- it has it all! And for those of us gals who need it- a dash of romance!

Book 1: Daughter of the Blood.

In the first book, Daughter of the Blood, we are introduced to the characters who will populate the entire Series. Janelle, the once and future queen, is just a child but is already coming into the power that will outshine all in her shadow.

The chosen one whose coming was foretold over 1700 years ago, she would be the one to put an end to the corrupt rule of the Jeweled Blood Queens- witches who rule the people known as The Blood.

But the women in power will not loose their grip so easily and it will take the wisdom of her soul father, brother, and future consort to keep her safe until the time she is ready to come into her own.

Right off the bat I became enthralled with this story. Long a lover of fantasy and romance, I knew this story had the potential to be a great read. I wasn't wrong.

From the moment Janelle enters the scene, answering the call of the lonely brother of her soul- I was hooked.

I have to admit, it was difficult for me to set aside my preconception of one character before I could truly let myself enjoy the ride though-that character being Saetan of course, the soon to be mentor and teacher of Janelle as well as her father- not of blood, but of soul.

Saetan is a sympathetic character in this tale, long relegated to the halls of Hayll and a shell of the man he used to be, subsisting on blood and darkness. Then Janelle enters his life and life begins aknew for him.

In DOTB, the characters are all locked in their own prisons- Saetan to the fragility of his mind and body and the dreams of what could be and Janelle to the hands of those who should be protecting her but are instead locking her away to keep her in line. Luciver, the brother of Janelle's soul and her future consort, Daemon, both literal sons of Saetan, are enslaved as pleasure slaves by and for the Queens of the Blood. But by the end of the first book, we find them all beginning to break free.

One will sacrifice his own sanity for the sake of Janelle's life. Another is left to uncertain future at the hands of his enslavers. One begins to realize his hopes and dreams and for Janelle, the nefarious reasons for her captivity come to a stunning climax that will make you eager to run out for the next installment!

Great beginning to a magical story! (Be warned, the plotting is complex and unfolds over three books, but it is a story not to missed!) ...more

*Reread* 12/15/13 Well this was an interesting reread. The world building is actually done throughout the series so it was Awesome to reread and follow everything much clearer. It was also during a BR so it was interesting to see how confusing this is the first time around. I didn't have as much problems as my buddies the first time around but I'm glad I got the input of those as they read it for pimping purposes...haha It was still uncomfortable at times but i read every word without skimming a*Reread* 12/15/13 Well this was an interesting reread. The world building is actually done throughout the series so it was Awesome to reread and follow everything much clearer. It was also during a BR so it was interesting to see how confusing this is the first time around. I didn't have as much problems as my buddies the first time around but I'm glad I got the input of those as they read it for pimping purposes...haha It was still uncomfortable at times but i read every word without skimming and I can actually see myself rereading this series again sometime in the future!

Let me say this is a me series. In no way do i believe most will get it and it is an uncomfortable read at times.

*Edited* After reading the next 2 books I feel like I should throw the 5th star at this one. It is a very intense Fantasy and one of my favorite trilogies. I'll wait till I reread to make the decision though. Because that will happen!

What the hell did I just read! Wow this might be one of the hardest reviews because I’m not sure how I’m going to explain that I liked this.

Daughter of the blood blurb says that the Dark Kingdom is preparing itself for the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. Janelle is a child with more power than the world has ever scene. Sadi tries to train her which is going to be tough being she has more power than he can even imagine. Daemon is a sex slave that has waited 700 years for the Queen to come into power and becomes wrapped around the little 12 yo while trying to keep her safe.

Well I know why they call it the “Dark Kingdom”. This was a pretty damn DARK fantasy! If this wasn’t fantasy I probably would have had a hard time getting through it. Apparently there are a lot of perverts that are into kiddies in the Dark Kingdom. Even the good guy Daemon got a little creepy. Now I immerse myself in the worlds I live in and that’s why I seem to give a wide berth in the fantasy stories that I read. Daemon swooning over little 12yo Janelle should have been creepy but knowing he was going to have to wait 7 years to tap into her wasn’t really a stretch since he’d been waiting 700 years. And to be honest most of the book he just treated her like a sister except for a couple of creepy moments. JANELLE!!! What a frigging complex character. She was creepy then cute then SCARY and she just always kept me on the edge of my seat when her part came into the story. I LOVE Janelle (not like Daemon…haha) she was such a good hearted heroine and I hope she comes out of this book with some semblance of herself.

There was probably one too many storylines going for me and the politics was drug out a little for my total enjoyment. There was a lot of world building in the first half of the book and the second half was a lot more intense. Definitely moving on with the series! ...more

I’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers in this review, but a few minor ones might slip in.

First things first, this book (and I expect the rest of the series as well) is not for the faint of heart. I got misled by the cover and thought it was a young-adult book until certain sex toys were mentioned. That got me wondering… until a little bit of full castration was thrown in along with other less desirable practices; be warned this is no YA book. Many parts I found downright disturbing and thatI’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers in this review, but a few minor ones might slip in.

First things first, this book (and I expect the rest of the series as well) is not for the faint of heart. I got misled by the cover and thought it was a young-adult book until certain sex toys were mentioned. That got me wondering… until a little bit of full castration was thrown in along with other less desirable practices; be warned this is no YA book. Many parts I found downright disturbing and that's not a frequent occurrence for me book-wise.

Thrust into this fantasy world, you’re left to discover the ins and outs of it on your own and rather slowly compared to other books. There’s no big info dump here. Everything you learn is through clues and intuition until at least halfway through the story. I both loved and hated this because I rarely could stop to reflect and try to decipher something because the plot had me hooked too well.

I fully expected to hate Jaenelle. Something about an all-powerful character combined with the fact that EVERYONE wants her for one reason or another just annoys me. I’ll admit I got completely taken by surprise by how modest, cute, and just plain likable she ended up being. Maybe it’s because she was really young or naive or maybe Anne Bishop is a genius, but I loved this heroine and really cared/worried for her as things began to look more and more bleak as the book progressed. I even became convinced she deserved Daemon, but more on that sexy beast later.

Another expectation that ended up being proven false is that these glorified dominatrixes Queens would be entirely two-dimensional “baddies” with a sadistic streak. Sure the sadistic streak was there in most of them, but it didn’t feel contrived. They actually had some personality and some of them weren’t entirely irredeemable.

Saetan and his posse in Hell deserve a special mention. Another misleading thing about this book… you’d think a name like that would mean the guy roasts kitties on a spit for fun, but in reality he is just a big old teddy bear. Yes, he could decimate a castle in the blink of an eye, but that doesn’t mean he would! Really he just brought so much humor and endeared me to the story.

And Daemon. Oh Daemon. I really couldn’t find flaw with you. Sure your cold rage was terrifying and you could probably level the city of Los Angeles… but when you showed your true self, the small bit we saw when you looked at Jaenelle or spoke with your brother, we caught a glimpse of what you could have been were it not for Dorothea; what you could still be if you were merely allowed. (And that questionable scene with your brother that I liked entirely too much) You had me praying for your release and drooling over you at the same time; much like all the other ladies in the book. I’d never put you in that Ring though, Daemon. Promise. Call me?

Honestly, even if the whole story was shite it would be worth the read just for Daemon. But luckily that is not the case. The story is enthralling and the richly built world sucked me in completely. This is a good choice if you enjoy your fantasy with a heavy dose of darkness, complex and unpredictable characters, and just plain good storytelling....more

I bought this book with no concept of how much I would be drawn to the world Anne created. It spoke to my soul. Then it slammed my heart to the ground. The ending is quite possibly one of the most painful I've ever had to read. It just ripped apart a fragile little dream and smiled while it did so. After I sat in shock for more than a few minutes, I checked the publication date, thinking the second book might be available soon. No such luck. I bought the book in it's first month of release. TheI bought this book with no concept of how much I would be drawn to the world Anne created. It spoke to my soul. Then it slammed my heart to the ground. The ending is quite possibly one of the most painful I've ever had to read. It just ripped apart a fragile little dream and smiled while it did so. After I sat in shock for more than a few minutes, I checked the publication date, thinking the second book might be available soon. No such luck. I bought the book in it's first month of release. The wait for Heir to the Shadows felt like one of the most drawn out years of my life. Since reading this book, I have passed it on to about 15 of my freinds. They too are now die hard Bishop fans. And proud of it!...more

Things I did not like about this book:- Proper names (the winter solstice holiday is Winsol... Satan is Saetan... Demon is Daemon... - Lack of character development- Redundant descriptive language- Elaborate and pointlessly nonsensical magic schema- Crappy plot arc- Completely implausible antihero- TOO MUCH SHIT ABOUT HAVING SEX WITH KIDS- TOO MUCH SHIT ABOUT HATING WOMEN

Things I did like about this book:- There was a horse character- The child molesters got exploded

NatalieThis review is the perfect review of this book.
Jul 14, 2014 09:26PM

Amy HealeyHating woman? Did you read through the part where that poor guy got 'shaved'. Hell no this book has problems but woman hating is not one of them! RingHating woman? Did you read through the part where that poor guy got 'shaved'. Hell no this book has problems but woman hating is not one of them! Rings of Obedience, the fact that most men are only there to be sexual servants to women. Nope, just nope....more
Jul 27, 2014 11:57AM

Read this if you like self-indulgent, "oh how cute I want to be her" type books where the beautiful young heroine is surrounded by males who want to take care of her. Bad things happen of course, so she needs lots of rescuing. Lots and lots of rescuing. Conversely, if you prefer well-written fantasy, go for something else - Jennifer Fallon or even Anne Rice, if you like.

There is some 'darkness' in this book, but it's clumsily executed. Again, if you want real bleak darkness go read Robin Hobb'sRead this if you like self-indulgent, "oh how cute I want to be her" type books where the beautiful young heroine is surrounded by males who want to take care of her. Bad things happen of course, so she needs lots of rescuing. Lots and lots of rescuing. Conversely, if you prefer well-written fantasy, go for something else - Jennifer Fallon or even Anne Rice, if you like.

There is some 'darkness' in this book, but it's clumsily executed. Again, if you want real bleak darkness go read Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy and then come back to this one and you'll realise how clumsily it's been done. There is some 'adult' content that I'm sure is supposed to convey passion and sexiness, but again, if you want to see it done well, go read Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel trilogy. Then you'll realise how clumsily it's been done here.

I will admit a bit of the "oh how cuuuuuute" reverse-harem thing tugs at my female heartstrings, but there's nothing new here. This is pulp fiction marketed to the masses - so if you enjoy that sort of thing, you'll love this....more

Buddy read with Aly, Ange, Annie & Anzu (Although I think only Aly, Anzu and I actually ended up reading it LOL)

Daughter of the Blood is a really difficult book to review and I think that's partly due to how uncomfortable it made me feel when I was reading it. This is a DARK fantasy story, if you're looking for an easy read then that's not what you're going to get here. However, if you're looking for a story that is as compelling as it is disturbing then this may be just what you're after. IBuddy read with Aly, Ange, Annie & Anzu (Although I think only Aly, Anzu and I actually ended up reading it LOL)

Daughter of the Blood is a really difficult book to review and I think that's partly due to how uncomfortable it made me feel when I was reading it. This is a DARK fantasy story, if you're looking for an easy read then that's not what you're going to get here. However, if you're looking for a story that is as compelling as it is disturbing then this may be just what you're after. If I'd known the kind of things this story included (everything from child molestation, rape, incest, abuse, torture and much much more) then I would have been wary about picking it up but no matter how squeamish reading it made me feel there was never a point where I wanted to put the book down and walk away. I was so engrossed in this world and the characters that I just had to know what was going to happen next!

Anne Bishop has created a fascinating but brutal world, one where power has completely corrupted the people in charge. Society is ruled by those of the Blood, men and women with magic whose abilities are defined by the colour of jewel they receive at birth. It is a matriarchal society where territories are ruled by the Queens who have the strongest magic and they are served by their male counterparts the Warlords. There was peace and happiness for centuries until they fell under the power of a dark and twisted High Queen, Dorothea, a woman who thinks nothing of terrorising the people under her command. In fact she has encouraged the other Queens to treat men as worse than nothing, they are often little more than sex slaves who are under complete control of Dorothea and the other Queens that she allows to rule over smaller territories. The world is split into three different realms - Terreille, Kaeleer and Hell - but most of this story takes place in Terreille and Hell (I have to admit I'm a little confused about how Kaeleer fits into the picture but I'm assuming that will become more clear as the series continues). The realms have been divided and under Dorothea's reign Terreille has become a dark and terrifying place. There is only one hope for the realms to be reunited and prophecy has long since told of Witch, the most powerful Queen to be born in centuries, one who will either heal or destroy the world.

For centuries Saetan, the overlord of Hell, has awaited the birth of Witch and finally she is here. Jaenelle is just seven years old when she finds her way to Hell and befriends him and he instantly recognises her for who and what she is. It will take years of training before she is ready to fulfil the prophecy but that is only if he manages to keep her safe from those that seek to harm her. Jaenelle is already capable of incredible and terrifying things but she doesn't have proper control of her magic and desperately needs the lessons he can give her. Saetan is a father figure to Jaenelle and he would do anything to help her but that isn't easy when she is so determined to follow her own path, she is a wanderer who has friends throughout all three realms and in her own way she is just as determined to protect those she cares about. She refuses to stay safe in Hell when her friends need her help and she keeps secrets about things that happen because she tries to spare Saetan the pain of knowing the kind of trouble she is in.

Jaenelle also befriends Saetan's two sons Daemon and and Lucivar although her relationship with them is very different to the one she has with Saetan. Daemon and Lucivar are both slaves who are under control of Dorothea, they have spent centuries being abused and tortured biding their time until Witch comes into her power and can free them. We don't see a great deal of Lucivar here but whenever we do get his point of view he is either suffering the worst kind of torture or watching it happen to someone else. I'm actually glad we don't see more of him because his scenes were incredibly difficult to read about, I just wish I could say they were the worst in the book and unfortunately they weren't! Daemon is a pleasure slave who has spent centuries forced to do the bidding of Dorothea, but in spite of that he actually has a kind of innocence to him, one that Jaenelle brings to the surface through their friendship. Daemon would do anything to keep Jaenelle safe, he would go through any kind of pain or suffering himself if it meant she didn't have to but even he isn't powerful enough to protect her the entire time. Scenes towards the end of the book absolutely broke my heart and I have no idea how Jaenelle is going to come back from what happened to her. Thankfully the abuse she suffers is one of the few scenes that isn't detailed graphically in the story but the aftermath is more than enough to show just how badly she suffered and it makes for difficult reading.

Daughter of the Blood is a fascinating but brutal story, it is graphic and unflinching when it comes to showing the darkest that the world has to offer. This is a compelling book that hits you where it hurts and makes it hard to keep breathing but one that you can't look away from. As much as I'm kind of terrified to see where Anne Bishop will take us next I'm in it for the long haul and there is no way I can stop reading this series. The world building is absolutely fascinating and I am so invested in these characters that I want to see them get the happy ending that they deserve. Apart from Dorothea and a few others who are evil to the core - them I want to see suffer in the most brutal ways imaginable!...more

Brigid (is a massive coffee addict)Sarah wrote: "This is such an uncomfortable read isn't it Brigid! It was incredibly hard to carry on reading at times and I kept wanting to skip throuSarah wrote: "This is such an uncomfortable read isn't it Brigid! It was incredibly hard to carry on reading at times and I kept wanting to skip through certain events without having to know such graphic details..."

yeah...I did not like it. I've never been uncomfortable while reading a book to this extent before. Very disturbing. Why did she need to put child molestation in there? Was it just part of the plot or did she want the reader to feel some intense emotion?...more
updated
Mar 03, 2014 04:52PM

SarahI can see why you didn't like it and I hated that part too. This definitely isn't the kind of book everyone is going to enjoy but I still found it strI can see why you didn't like it and I hated that part too. This definitely isn't the kind of book everyone is going to enjoy but I still found it strangely addictive.

I do think some things were included in too much detail though. I feel like it was definitely written to get a reaction from people and I guess it works too LOL...more
Mar 03, 2014 05:02PM

The three realms of Terreille, Kaeleer (the Shadow Realm) and Hell are ruled by the Blood, people given the gift of Jewels of different-ranking colours. They are supposed to be caretakers of the land, and are deeply heirarchical. It's a matriarchal world, but a taint, a rot, has seeped into the Blood, and now the ruling Blood - both female and male - spend their time indulging in pleasures of all manner, often cruel. Some of the races are long-lived, and the Demon-Dead in Hell still have the useThe three realms of Terreille, Kaeleer (the Shadow Realm) and Hell are ruled by the Blood, people given the gift of Jewels of different-ranking colours. They are supposed to be caretakers of the land, and are deeply heirarchical. It's a matriarchal world, but a taint, a rot, has seeped into the Blood, and now the ruling Blood - both female and male - spend their time indulging in pleasures of all manner, often cruel. Some of the races are long-lived, and the Demon-Dead in Hell still have the use of their Jewels. Some have been around for more than 50,000 years. And they all have very long memories.

The High Lord of Hell, Saetan daSiablo, is the only male Blood - and dead person - to rule a territory, and a realm. Kaeleer follows individual Queens, since there is no Queen of Ebon Askavi and she would be the Queen above all others. Terreille, corrupt and dissolute, has been taken over by the High Priestess of Hyall, Dorothea, working in tandem with Saetan's Demon-Dead wife Heketah. They are both absolutely horrible people, who find entertainment in having men castrated. Ouch.

Saetan and his two still-living sons, half-brothers Daemon and Lucivar, have been waiting centuries for the arrival of the Queen who will rule them all and end forever the corruption of Dorothea and Heketah, which has already seeped across the closed borders into the Shadow Realm: Witch. Who, at the beginning of Daughter of the Blood, is just a 7 year old girl called Jaenelle, suffering abuse at the hands of her family and the doctor she is given over to.

There is a lot that is different about this fantasy book - and the entire trilogy - from the typical good vs. evil dichotomy. First off, it is one of the first fantasy stories I have read where I believe. What I mean is, Dorothea and Heketah and all the people they use, and all their perversions and cruelty, are intensely believable. Even though they are extreme, I think it is the way Bishop writes that draws me in so thoroughly.

Her other characters are equally well-written - and there are a lot of them, but I never felt overwhelmed. The interesting thing, to me, was that even though Jaenelle is technically the main character - in the sense that everything and everyone ends up revolving around her, focused on her - we never hear her voice. She never narrates. And this works perfectly. She is so other, by the end, that the only way to know is by understanding how those close to her - and those trying to manipulate her - perceive her.

The insipid covers of these books always put me off - that and the uninspiring blurb which gives no real indication of what these books are like. But it's a great story and very well written, and I read this trilogy in five days. It helps when they're all available! New editions with much nicer covers are available now, by the way....more

Wow.. just wowand I don't say that word a lot.This book...This book Is Not for the faint of heart or squeamish, if you are a person who likes reading about rainbows, butterflies and happy endings Do Not, I repeat Do Not read this Series.

This book is Dark, Twisted and Deep, it's about any and all types of abuse a person can think of:Child abuse, Male abuse, Female abuse, AniThis Review is for the Black Jewels Trilogy

- - - Spoilers - - -

Daughter of the Blood (Black Jewels, Book 1) by Anne Bishop

Wow.. just wowand I don't say that word a lot.This book...This book Is Not for the faint of heart or squeamish, if you are a person who likes reading about rainbows, butterflies and happy endings Do Not, I repeat Do Not read this Series.

This book is Dark, Twisted and Deep, it's about any and all types of abuse a person can think of:Child abuse, Male abuse, Female abuse, Animal abuse and Abuse of PowerIt is also about oppression, torture, jealousy and envy.

At the opposite end of that coin it is also about perseverance , survival and working with the 'hand' that one was dealt.It is about biding one's time for Freedom and Love The author has an intriguing way of telling a rape survivor's story that would make any Psych major curious.Witches, Demons, Black Widows, Ghosts all add to the mix.

It is about things and people not seeming to be what they are,about some people labeled as bad/evil who should be kept around as friends and some 'supposedly' good people... that others should run the heck away from.

The theme through out the series is:"Nothing is without a Price"

There are two things that could have been different:1.)I would have liked to see Jaenelle and Daemon have more time together.Over half the series, Jaenelle is growing up and Daemon is waiting for her.When they finally do get together it is short lived and awkward.

2.)The Author should have had Book 3 longer with an Epilogue giving a follow up on the Trilogy instead of writing another book later on giving an update on the characters, especially since it was supposed to be a "Trilogy".

If you are curious.. check the series out.I suggest borrowing it from your local library first....more

Anne Bishop’s Daughter of the Blood is the first book in The Black Jewels series. It tells the story about a prophecy that was seen by a witch named Tersa. The prophecy basically states that the forthcoming witch will be so powerful that she will be able to travel the three realms (Terreille, Hell, and Kaeleer) by shear will alone. She will also have the ability to reunite the three realms that are currently being corrupted by blood Queens and their jeweled hierar*Rating**Genre* Fantasy

*Review*

Anne Bishop’s Daughter of the Blood is the first book in The Black Jewels series. It tells the story about a prophecy that was seen by a witch named Tersa. The prophecy basically states that the forthcoming witch will be so powerful that she will be able to travel the three realms (Terreille, Hell, and Kaeleer) by shear will alone. She will also have the ability to reunite the three realms that are currently being corrupted by blood Queens and their jeweled hierarchy where the color of your jewel is the way to determine how powerful you actually are.

This is a society that is highly female orientated, with males taking up the positions of the sexual whores that service the witch queens. Some of the characters even wear a Ring of Obedience around their private member to keep them in line. They are used for sexual pleasure and torture and if anyone jumps out of line, they end up shaved.

There is one realm, however, that is still ruled by the Prince of Darkness Saetan, and it is the one place where the main character actually finds sanctuary and comfort when she travels there to learn her craft. That is Hell.

I love Jaenelle, the foretold witch and her story. She has kept her Craft abilities secret from her so called family who continually sends her away to a mental institution called Briarwood because they believe she is deficient and insane. Little do they know that while she is away, she is creating her own friends, alliances, and as well as doing all she can to save the little girls who are left there to die by their unknowing families. They also don’t realize how very powerful Jaenelle actually is.

The ending is a bit disturbing, but in the overall scheme of things, I guess it had to be done that way. Obviously, this is the first book of a series, thus the world building and character introduction was extensive. There are so many different characters, most of them very important to the overall story, that you need a blackboard to keep track of their progress.

Bishop aligns various characters so that they end up in Jaenelle’s path: Daemon, Saetan, Surreal, Lucivar, and Cassandra are her allies.

Naturally, there are those in power who will do anything possible to eliminate the threat that Jaenelle poses to their comforts and masochistic ways; Dorothea, Hekatah, Zuultah, Greer, and the queens who are aligned with Dorothea and Zuultah.

Yes, this book is both twisted and dark. It has scenes of torture and abuse as well as putting children in difficult and heart wrenching positions of weakness. It is also the story about a hierarchy that is controlled by the color of the jewels you wear or are birth righted into.

Jaenelle actually carries many jewels with her thanks to some perfect alliance with not only dragons, but with spiders as well. She just hasn’t been birthrighted to a particular stone yet since she is so young, but if she were, she would carry the most powerful one ever made.

If you enjoy reading Dark Fantasy, you will love this one. This is my first endeavor into the world of Anne Bishop’s creative mind and world building and I am extremely grateful that this was recommended to me to read. Thank you GR friends.

1. Daughter of the Blood (1998)2. Heir to the Shadows (1999)3. Queen of the Darkness (1999)

Wow! What incredible world-building! Through Ms. Bishop’s fantastic imagination, she created something completely different, intriguing, and even confusing at times. DAUGHTER of the BLOOD is a fascinating tale about a young girl learning her magic while navigating through the perils of those who would use her just for her power.

In my haste to learn about the heroine, I also read HEIR to the SHADOWS (4 stars), and QUEEN of the DARKNESS (5 stars) and must admit that I cried more than once throughoWow! What incredible world-building! Through Ms. Bishop’s fantastic imagination, she created something completely different, intriguing, and even confusing at times. DAUGHTER of the BLOOD is a fascinating tale about a young girl learning her magic while navigating through the perils of those who would use her just for her power.

In my haste to learn about the heroine, I also read HEIR to the SHADOWS (4 stars), and QUEEN of the DARKNESS (5 stars) and must admit that I cried more than once throughout the story. For an author to absorb me into her world with such intensity that she had me crying, well, that’s pretty incredible.

Although some scenes may be tough to read because of the violence and subject matter, the overall power of these books make it an unforgettable and beautiful story....more

4.75 stars. This book completely engrossed me -- I didn't want to do anything else but finish it. The beginning 10% is difficult to get through, alot of world building, keeping names straight, figuring out the magic power structure and the polictics. But after I got past that, I was just blown away. Gritty fantasy? This is it -- I hadn't known such a thing to exist before! This book is not for people bothered by violence, sexual violence or sexual deviance. This is a world where those in power u4.75 stars. This book completely engrossed me -- I didn't want to do anything else but finish it. The beginning 10% is difficult to get through, alot of world building, keeping names straight, figuring out the magic power structure and the polictics. But after I got past that, I was just blown away. Gritty fantasy? This is it -- I hadn't known such a thing to exist before! This book is not for people bothered by violence, sexual violence or sexual deviance. This is a world where those in power use sex to punish and control. However, despite that, it is still a beautiful book -- unique magic and very interesting relationships. I can't wait to move on to #2....more

As they say, Mother Night…! I’ve never been this thrilled for quite a long while…

I run the risk of sounding like a pretentious ass, but even though I never really understood the whys and hows of this fantasy world from the get-go, my god… I absolutely loved how the author relentlessly, unfailingly, commanded this reader’s attention. Made you near-slave to the emotions of the characters. Lulled you into a false sense of seemingly finally comprehending what the hell’s going on and how the fates ofAs they say, Mother Night…! I’ve never been this thrilled for quite a long while…

I run the risk of sounding like a pretentious ass, but even though I never really understood the whys and hows of this fantasy world from the get-go, my god… I absolutely loved how the author relentlessly, unfailingly, commanded this reader’s attention. Made you near-slave to the emotions of the characters. Lulled you into a false sense of seemingly finally comprehending what the hell’s going on and how the fates of these characters would twine and intersect, only to smack you dead-center on the forehead with another mindbender of a twist.

To say that this story pulls you in is an insult to good story-telling. I can only humbly describe it as nothing less than being hurtled into a fantastical world where you find yourself at a loss. And, from that confusion, having an unsavory sense of discomfort coupled with a premature wish to not even bother taking one step further to explore.

That’s how I felt when I turned the first few pages. I fucking had no clue what was up. I couldn’t grasp what the eff were Blood Jewels (or how they come about), riding webs or spinning tethers, the Offering, or even what a Black Widow is.

I couldn’t understand differences among high priestesses, dark priestesses, queens, and witches. Or why the dead were still the ‘dead’ but were very much different from dead dead.

Or why, from within this fantasy world, there’s still such a thing as shopping, attending balls, or the need to posses the mundane physical objects when one apparently has telekinesis (or something akin to that) to accomplish almost anything – including being able to kill someone with just your mind or a crook of your finger.

And don’t get me started on Saetan. His ‘existence’ and whole persona is still something I’m trying to wrap my head around in.

Yeah, sure… all throughout reading this novel, I probably had my brow perpetually puckered in confuzzlement even up to the last page…

but that’s just it.

Despite that wish to not even take a step further, I found myself reaching that last page (hence this garbled attempt at a review… erm, we’ll just compromise and refer to it as a ‘reaction’). And that was when I fully realized that, all the while, without even wanting to explore further, I was actually greedily turning page after page.

I was surprised at how I was held in thrall at the promise of Jaenelle’s terrifying splendor once she finally ascends into Witch (and no, I do not know why it has to be capitalized). Or how the chillingly-stoic Daemon would finally serve her as her lover and protector once she holds court. Or how the sadly-underdeveloped character of Lucinvar would affect their futures.

But, above all, the lure is in the tantalizing prospect of retribution.

Perhaps that’s the element in this first installment that kept me turning the pages.

In truth? This novel would make you bloodthirsty. The unceasing spectre of violence, perversion, and cruelty makes you positively(!) relish a smackdown of sorts. And the fact that the author deftly doles it out in increments is both maddening and gratifying.

And Anne Bishop, I can now say, is a master in manipulating emotions. There’s almost a sense of ruthlessness in the way she will make you have a searingly-painful inkling as to how Daemon, in all those years of ‘whoring’ himself, is practically brutally maimed inside that you feel a little of that hurt even as frost creeps into his eyes, or how Jaenelle is heartbreakingly pitiful in her pre-pubescent innocence as well as awe-inspiringly magnificent in the many ways she is already more powerful than all the Blood, living or dead.

The author would bait the reader with “heartwarming” scenes of Saetan becoming carefree or instances of Daemon falling more and more headlong into lustful as well as reverent love, and then, on the next turn will stun you with fear, horror, grim disbelief, and, yes, anger.

Several people recommended I try Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy based on my love of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. I can see why -- both books share a similar forthrightness about the act of love, particularly love tinged with sado-masochism. However, right off the bat it became obvious that while in the Kushiel novels sado-masochism was about trust, in Daughter of the Blood it is about power.

Every character in the novel except for Jaenelle is involved in power plays large and sSeveral people recommended I try Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy based on my love of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series. I can see why -- both books share a similar forthrightness about the act of love, particularly love tinged with sado-masochism. However, right off the bat it became obvious that while in the Kushiel novels sado-masochism was about trust, in Daughter of the Blood it is about power.

Every character in the novel except for Jaenelle is involved in power plays large and small; there is no trust to be had between any two individuals (again, excepting Jaenelle). This made the novel incredibly frustrating for me -- I hate it when the entirety of the conflict in a novel could be solved by a few of the people sitting down together, talking things out, and taking that (to me, easy) leap of faith that they aren't all trying to stab each other in the back. That that lack of trust meant that Jaenelle was being sexually abused (blindingly obvious to me from page one, though none of the men that supposedly loved her noticed) for almost 400 pages with no one to step in and rescue her made me very angry at times.

Many things in the novel created a low level of frustration. The magic system was too much like in an RPG; I never got any sense for the physical landscape; I could have used a cast of characters but none was provided; there were too many places where the most obvious choice was taken in a scene. (How many times do I have to see/read a character get offered a handkerchief, blow his/her nose in it, then wonder whether to hand it back to the person who offered it?) On a larger level, Daemon's rigidly controlled lust for Jaenelle left a bad taste in my mouth -- I don't care that her soul was Witch, and ageless; both her body and her consciousness were that of a 12-year old girl. Given Daemon's character as it had been set out prior to their meeting, his strong physical reaction to her presence didn't fit. I didn't accept their relationship until several chapters in, when Bishop showed Jaenelle bringing out his playful side and giving him a glimpse of the childhood he never had.

But that scene served as a sort of turning-point for me with this novel. At that moment I finally believed in Jaenelle and Daemon as people, and once I believed I cared desperately what was going to happen to them. I read the final quarter of the novel breathlessly, rooting for a happy ending with all my heart. Therein lies the real difference between the Kushiel novels and Daughter of the Blood: from page one in Kushiel's Dart, Carey treated her heroic characters like real people, showing their flaws and hesitations, showing their epic qualities, and always balancing those bits with their humor and lightheartedness and joy. That balance between the heroic and the mundane, the dark and the light, captured my heart immediately, while Bishop took almost 300 pages to do the same. I will be continuing the trilogy, because I finally did break through and love Jaenelle, but I certainly can't put it in the same breath as Jacqueline Carey's masterpiece yet....more

I really feel that this book should come with a warning that not everyone can stomach it. This is some really DARK F***ed up fantasy (and yes the caps and swear word is there for a purpose). I've been exposed to some really dark fantasy where pillaging, rape, violence, gore, incest, etc.... and it didn't bother me much as Daughter of the Blood disturbed me. I'm going to share with you (and maybe some minor spoilers but they're pretty minor) so you can judge for yourself whether you'd pick the boI really feel that this book should come with a warning that not everyone can stomach it. This is some really DARK F***ed up fantasy (and yes the caps and swear word is there for a purpose). I've been exposed to some really dark fantasy where pillaging, rape, violence, gore, incest, etc.... and it didn't bother me much as Daughter of the Blood disturbed me. I'm going to share with you (and maybe some minor spoilers but they're pretty minor) so you can judge for yourself whether you'd pick the book up. I like to think of myself as fairly open minded but seriously some of the themes in this book are downright disturbing.

1. Pointless sexual violence and deviances:It just seems that all the violent sexual acts were just for shock and awe. There literally wasn't really much of a reason for it to be happening. I understand that the author wanted to create this environment of fear but unlike other fantasy books where the rape and violence made sense, these characters were just doing it for entertainment and for no other better purpose and the violence was probably more trouble than it's worth. It just didn't make any sense at all. There's a very disturbing scene where the females of the court decide "hey let's dismember the privates of this random male for entertainment". It's almost as like a bunch of males saying "hey let's cut off the tits/clitoris of a woman for funnnnnn!" who the heck does that?! I understand if it's some kind of punishment but this is for the sake of entertainment? Really?! It's kinda messy, hard and troublesome to dismember someone's privates. Frankly speaking it sounds more trouble than it's worth. That's just ONE example of the many type of weird sexual punishments in this book. Frankly I couldn't stomach them at all because it just seems so POINTLESS.

2. The main male character starts lusting after the 12 year old main character:Now there's some disturbing things in here involving sexually deviant adults who love to molest children. While I can stomach that no problems, it becomes a HUGE problem for me when the main character starts sexually lusting after the 12 year old Jaenelle! Now in the case of Lolita (which I frankly liked very much cause the writing was so gooooddd). In those cases you know that the main character is a perv and that whatever his doing is wrong... But in this case the notion that he is attracted to her is romantacize. I guess the author had wanted to possibly set up for some sweeping romance in book 2 and book 3 by dropping these hints. It would have worked except too bad she's like what 12!!!!

Janelle swayed, bracing her hands on his thighs for support. She licked her lips and looked at him with slightly glazed eyes. "Do... do all boys kiss like that?"

But she would remember that kiss and compare every kiss from every weak-willed Chaillot boy against it. He didn't care how many boys kissed her. They were, after all, boys. But the bed... When the time came, the bed would be his.

I'm sorry but WTF is that????!!!! There's nothing sweet about a grown man perving after a 12 year old girl sexually. If anything I was super disturbed because it was written in a romantic sort of way but hey guys remember she's just 12. T___T

3. An older male character hints to sexually lusting after the 7 year old main character: This is frankly quite disturbing as well because this older male character eventually becomes a father figure to her. While he never acts upon it, there's some hints that he felt some sort of a sexual attraction towards her even as young as a 7 year old!

He held her eyes, letting his fingers travel slowly along her jaw and brush against her lips, all the way around and back. He didn't try to hide his curiosity, interest or the tenderness he felt for most females.

This is probably not as disturbing as number 2 but the fact that the father figure in the storyline is also perving on the main character is making my brain ache.

Those were the things that greatly disturb me about the book but I had some criticisms with how the book was written too. I had some major issues with the lore of the book as it was introduced so overwhelmingly fast. I couldn't catch up and a lot of things didn't quite 'register' in my head and I had to go back and re-read certain chapters to even understand what was going on.

However, all is not bad as there were some good things about the book as well. Where I had to give props was having a fairly well thought out Matriarchal society where females had the power. It was interesting to me because the author had taken into account the nature of females and incorporated it into the book. I suspect if females were the super power, we'd run the world a lot more differently that males! (cause we're biologically wired to multi-task, communicate better and be more emotional) So these aspects really came out in the way the world was run so good job on that part for the author.

Also when the main character wasn't sexually perving after Jaenelle, they had some really tender moments (like older brother and sister kinda moments) which I thought were sweet. And Saetan as the father figure to Jaenelle was really sweet too.

The plot had its moments too (whenever I could understand it when the lore and world building confusion weren't in the way). It was interesting and engaging enough that I wanted to keep on reading but in terms of originality it wasn't spectacular. It was just the usual story of a gifted one trying to come into power being protected by her guardians against those who are in power trying to kill her.

Overall I'd say the world building and lore of the Daughter of the Blood universe is very interesting despite having a conventional plot. However the disturbing themes kept me from truly immersing myself into the world and truly enjoying it.

Though I have to admit, I liked the book enough that I quickly bought the sequel and read it the next day. So some part of me must have liked it enough despite being thoroughly disturbed. ...more

This book… I don’t know what to say about it. The world Ms. Bishop has created is fascinating, but very brutal. I don’t understand it enough to explain it, though I promise I’ll try.

This universe is a medieval one based on feudal values. There are people who have no magic, laden, and people who have it, Blood. The strongest of the Blood are classified in casts depending on the Jewels they get in the Offering of the Darkness ceremony[from what I understood, theBuddy read withSarahAngieAnnieAnzu

This book… I don’t know what to say about it. The world Ms. Bishop has created is fascinating, but very brutal. I don’t understand it enough to explain it, though I promise I’ll try.

This universe is a medieval one based on feudal values. There are people who have no magic, laden, and people who have it, Blood. The strongest of the Blood are classified in casts depending on the Jewels they get in the Offering of the Darkness ceremony[from what I understood, the women lose their virginity in it and get their Jewel; the men, I have no idea]. The territories are ruled by Queens who, themselves are answering to the top Queen. I wrote Queen with a capital ‘Q’ because they are the strongest of the Blood. The men who have Jewels get the rank of Warlord and they serve the Queens.

What is important to understand is that this is a matriarchal society, that after a crippling war[started by a crazy chick who was power-hungry] started to pervert itself. Before the war, the queens were chosen based on power and strength not on family connections, now there aren’t any strong queens left… The Warlords also chose the queens they served, now many of them are enslaved and some of them are turned into pleasure slaves.

This world is very focused on sexuality... The strong men are transformed into slaves with cock rings[yes, you read it right] named “Rings of Obedience” that send pain to control them. The women can be prevented to reach their full potential by rape, this is the thing that enrages me! Why add this to the rules of the universe, why not make it different? The now-ruling Queen, Dorothea, is a crazy bitch that has girls raped and, to make matters even worse, she’s a perverse SOB that loves to torture people and isn’t averse to incest[strangely enough this wouldn’t make me so mad at her if it was consensual, but it’s not!]

Now enough about the world and the disgusting antagonist, let me tell you a bit about the protagonists. Jaenelle, the girl everything revolves around, never has a POV, we only see here to the eyes of the others. The story starts when she’s very young[7 or so] and continues till she’s almost 13. She is the powerfulest[I know it’s not a word, but it should be] of them all, she knows to teleport[kind of]between realms[I didn’t understand this but they sound a bit like earth(Terreille), purgatory(Kaeleer) and hell(Hell)], she is the best healer, she speaks the OLD language and a myriad of other things. She is a bit too good for my tastes, though Ms. Bishop tries to temper it by making her incapable of doing very basic magic[she does the very difficult stuff, as I said] and by giving her the crappiest family that ever existed[I could have lived without this one].

Jaenelle is tutored by Saetan and, later on befriends Daemon. Saetan is a crazily old dude that rules Hell, he’s also bored with life and closed off from everything till the arrival of the girls. He is like her foster father, he gives her lessons on magic and tries not to think of what would happen to her if she were corrupted… He’s a funny guy, generous and he’s trying not to despair every time he hears of one of her adventures or the manifestations of her power. Daemon on the other hand is a nice dude turned cynic after centuries of being bartered by the crazy Queen for his sexual prowess. He’s powerful and vicious with his enemies and treats the weak with kindness and helps them when they need it. I like him even when he displays his temper :D makes things more fun.

I said it before, but the level of violence in this world is appalling! Daemon has a half-brother, Lucivar, who was also marked as a slave, through all the book, every time we read his POVs he’s being tortured or sees tortured being done. The book starts with a prophecy, but after it we see a guy sentenced to a slow tortures death by being eaten by rats[the author describes how they eat his balls]… then we see poor Lucivar being given some crazy aphrodisiac and he’s raped. Then we read about young girls being raped, I still cringe every time I think about it. I can’t understand why the author felt the need to make and describe how brutal and depraved the world she created is.

Despite it all I couldn’t stop reading the book! I felt compelled to see if Daemon escapes his degrading circumstances, if Jaenelle masters her powers, if Saetan meets his children… The writing also kept me interested, it’s flowing and the descriptions are just enough to give you information but not to overwhelm.

In the con column, besides the cruelty of the world and the absent POV of Jaenelle I want to add the names. They are just plain bad, a character is named Surreal. I don’t like how they sound and most are very hard to remember, I also kept frigging mixing them up.

All in all it’s an interesting universe, one that I just hate to keep reading into. I hope the next books are more… gentle.

In medias res is where the story starts. Not exactly, but almost. I would abandon it if it wasn't for my friend who recommended it to me and because it's her favorite series and all, I dediced that Geez, I wanna know what she sees in it, so I continued. It took me quite long to orientate myself, but you know what? It's worth it. Don't let the confusing start discourage you!

I am dropping this 25% in. I know there are many reviews out there talking how fucked up this book is. I did not drop it because of this. I did it because it's incredibly boring. It reads like a Romance novel, just with more perverted sick shit in it. And I feel like the author wanted to have all this crap in order to make it stand out. Nope.

This story was very different from anything I have read before. I typically stick with paranormal romance but I had decided to try something new and I'm glad I started with Anne Bishop. Although the story could be a little confusing at times, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm glad I purchased the trilogy so I can immediately start reading the next one ;)

4 1/2 stars. I enjoyed this immensely. It’s a very dark world. For the most part women who are witches rule this world. Queens are in charge. The men are powerful but have to be loyal to their queen. When the men don’t choose to be loyal, they use a special torture device called the ring of obedience. The queens that have been in charge for hundreds of years are bad. Their only concerns are their own self serving purposes. There is a prophecy that a good queen will come along and replace the bad4 1/2 stars. I enjoyed this immensely. It’s a very dark world. For the most part women who are witches rule this world. Queens are in charge. The men are powerful but have to be loyal to their queen. When the men don’t choose to be loyal, they use a special torture device called the ring of obedience. The queens that have been in charge for hundreds of years are bad. Their only concerns are their own self serving purposes. There is a prophecy that a good queen will come along and replace the bad ones.

The world building was okay. Enough info was given that I understood what was going on. Sometimes things would be mentioned but I would be left wanting to know more. It was briefly mentioned that witches were supposed to be connected with the Earth but hadn’t been for a long time. There was no explanation about why that was a bad thing. How did that really affect the Earth and the witches? That type of thing happened a few times. It would have bothered me more if the world building had been incomplete to the degree that nothing in the story made sense.

This is told from multiple points of view. Some were more interesting than others. My favorite character was Daemon. He had a side which he didn’t show often where he could be sweet and caring. Other times he was an incredible bad ass. He could be extremely cruel, but he was only being cruel to people who treated others poorly.

Although this book had its faults, I would highly recommend it. It’s not an action packed book. Much of it is just conversations between various characters. Also anyone who reads this has to be okay with reading about sexual abuse. There are not a lot of sex scenes but a lot of abusive sex and sometimes incest is alluded to.

OVERWHELMING . INTENSE . BREATHTAKING .It's been way too long since I got THIS obsessed about a book. I knew I would like the series, because of all the reviews I read and the plot description, but I never imagined it would be THIS ADDICTIVE! It was hard to fully comprehend the story... but once I did, I couldn't put the book down. THIS IS NOT AN EASY READ, it's complex and elaborated to no end. Most of all, I had trouble with the numerous rare characters, which we get to know all at the same tiOVERWHELMING . INTENSE . BREATHTAKING .It's been way too long since I got THIS obsessed about a book. I knew I would like the series, because of all the reviews I read and the plot description, but I never imagined it would be THIS ADDICTIVE! It was hard to fully comprehend the story... but once I did, I couldn't put the book down. THIS IS NOT AN EASY READ, it's complex and elaborated to no end. Most of all, I had trouble with the numerous rare characters, which we get to know all at the same time and with the same intensity.

STILL, I SERIOUSLY ENJOYED EVERY SINGLE PAGEThe original and unique world building, the creation of a whole new reality and the tangled and tricky plot, all sums up perfectly to introduce us to a new and interesting series. And that constant and lingering feeling that there's still WAY MUCH MORE coming up next... HOW NOT TO LOVE THE BOOK? Fantasy is a genre that will transport you to a different time, a distant reality, to something unexpected. So when you find a good read in the genre, you know it will be an amazing journey.

This book was recommended to me over and over again, by various people, and they cited all kinds of reasons for this book being the best thing since perforated toilet paper. Because of that, I started reading with a feeling of excitement and was ready to dive into a good series with plenty of followup volumes to hold my interest.

It didn't work out that way. At the close of the first volume in the series I can't for the life of me figure out what the big deal about this book is. This wasn't so muThis book was recommended to me over and over again, by various people, and they cited all kinds of reasons for this book being the best thing since perforated toilet paper. Because of that, I started reading with a feeling of excitement and was ready to dive into a good series with plenty of followup volumes to hold my interest.

It didn't work out that way. At the close of the first volume in the series I can't for the life of me figure out what the big deal about this book is. This wasn't so much a story as it was a really long introduction of the major players in the book, and as a whole the book needs a valet to be able to manage all the emotional baggage that is literally everywhere.

Sex- the having of it, the thinking of it, the manipulation of others through it, and so on and so forth, is everywhere in this book. It might as well be a character and get its own backstory and emotional baggage. It's not happy, well adjusted, consensual or sane sex though. The miracle child in this book, the one with the heretofore unimaginable powers, is twelve, which is fine, but she still inspires entirely inappropriate feelings in one of the male main characters, who's something like 1700 years old. Now, there's no acting on those feelings, and indeed he's attracted to the really old soul that the little girl has as well as the way she treats everyone with kindness, dignity and respect, but this little development made the story teeter too close to the world of Ick for my comfort. There's also a lot of abuse and maltreatment by characters in servitude by those in power that just failed to draw me in or add to the story in any meaningful way.

While nine kinds of gross were erupting all over the place, there really wasn't a whole lot else going on in the story. Each of the main characters was introduced and given their backstory, and the exchanges all seemed to go something like this:

Character 1: Have you heard of this girl?Character 2: Sure, I met her once.Character 1: YOU DID?! HOW?! INCONCEIVABLE!Character 2: Guess not!Character 1: Okay well.....be careful and watch out for (insert a third character's name here.)Character 2: K.

And end scene. This happened so many times I lost count after awhile.

The jury is still out on whether or not I will continue reading the rest in this series. On the one hand, I did finish the book, on the other hand, I'm not real interested in what is happening to the sad denizens in the gross little world described in the book. Time will tell I guess.

Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel,Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.

Crawford Award (2000)

LibrarAnne Bishop lives in upstate New York where she enjoys gardening, music, and writing dark, romantic stories. She is the author of fourteen novels, including the award-winning Black Jewels Trilogy. Her most recent novel,Twilight’s Dawn, made the New York Times bestsellers list. She is currently working on a new series, which is an urban dark fantasy with a bit of a twist.